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User blog:Historyfan15/The Mask: RE-WRITE
Ah, yes. The infamous episode that deals with sexual harassment/abuse, implied rape, and signs of PTSD. This episode has been regarded as one of the most realistic episodes of Courage for how it deals with a very adult issue. However, there seems to be a rather glaring issue for some people that this episode presents: Kitty's treatment of Courage and her "apology". Now, I've chalked up Kitty's actions to severe PTSD, namely from what I think would be the most logical conclusion for her actions against Courage. I like to think that Kitty's harsh treatment of Courage goes beyond Mad Dog, like this wasn't the only time she went through a bad exchange with canines. However, given the fact that we never get a clear answer or exploration of Kitty's past, I can understand why this is an issue for some people. As while it’s understandable why Kitty treated Courage so harshly, it also makes her look rather shallow. Not to mention that her apology does lack a bit of sincerity with her barely being present in the final battle scene until she arrives on the train. Another thing that I personally found a little bit disappointing was Mad Dog having a lack of presence until the very end. For a character as despicable and intimidating as himself, he only appears towards the very end, has only a few minutes of screentime and gets run over by a train. So I decided to give my own take on a re-write for this episode to maybe bridge a few gaps that this episode presented. Instead of being a two-parter, this episode is a three-parter, especially more of a mini-movie. The first part of the episode goes relatively the same as in canon, Kitty is introduced as this mysterious visitor to the farm, Muriel invites her into the home and she makes her stance by giving the same cold message to Courage and treating him harshly. The second part of the episode is where things change. After running away from the farm, Courage manages to track down Kitty and tries to confront her. Naturally, Kitty does not want to hear anything from Courage and refuses to listen to him. At this time, Courage is at the point of irritation and demands that Kitty explain herself for her harsh treatment against him, claiming that she has no reason to act this coldly towards him. Kitty instantly retaliates and scolds Courage, saying that he wouldn't understand, being that he's just a dog and that they're all the same. Courage questions Kitty's statement and asks what she means by that and why she feels that way. Now on the verge of tears, Kitty reluctantly tells Courage everything. Kitty grew up in a neighborhood that was a target for violent gang wars. The main instances were a gang of vicious canines that enjoyed making the neighborhood live in fear of them, hence what gave Kitty her narrow POV of dogs. Her only friend at the time was Bunny as she was the only person Kitty felt safe and happy with. Over time, their relationship grew into something more and they vowed to protect one another in the face of adversity. Unfortunately, one dark evening would change Kitty's POV of dogs to a whole new level. Her and Bunny were walking back to her place when they were confronted by the gang, led by the vicious Mad Dog. Not wanting any trouble, Kitty tried to stand her ground, but Bunny held her back from doing anything she would regret. Eyeing Bunny with hungry eyes, MD approached her with his most "friendly" mannerisms, but Kitty was having none of it. As if on cue, she found herself being held back by several of MD's gang while the leader himself swooped Bunny up in a strong hold. Cursing at the vicious canine, Kitty tried to release herself, but found herself on the ground being crushed in a chokehold, all the while having to listen to Bunny’s desperate cries for help. Eventually, she was thrown to the side and knocked unconscious upon impact. Her final vision being looking at Bunny's hopeless and tearful expression. After that, Kitty went into a deep depression and the events of that night replaying in her head broke her internally. As a result, she concealed her identity with a mask and gown, unable to face society in the same way ever again. Upon finishing her story, tears dripping from her eyes, Courage gains sympathy for her plight, understanding what it's like to have someone you love taken away from you. As a result, he says that he wants to help find Bunny so that she and her friend can be together and happy again. Kitty is hesitant at first, getting help from a dog would go against her skewed beliefs, but hearing the sincerity in Courage's voice, she agrees to his assistance. Meanwhile, there’s another subplot with the Bagges. Upon Courage's disappearance, a tear-stricken Muriel phones the police department for assistance in helping her find her missing dog. Upon getting confirmation that her plight will be accepted, Muriel tries to get Eustace to go along with her, but the old man naturally refuses to take part in it. Muriel then scolds Eustace, saying that if he doesn't help, he'll have to cook his own meals from now on, knowing full well that Eustace can't cook. Upon hearing this, Eustace reluctantly joins the search party. The third part of the episode is where we reach the climax. In a shady hotel in the middle of nowhere, Bunny is being held hostage while Mad Dog puts on his best "caring" act while making unwarranted movements against Bunny's consent. The scene concludes with a MD giving Bunny an unsympathetic smooch while Bunny silently cries to herself. Meanwhile, Courage and Kitty find themselves traveling by train in search of Bunny, after having to take a painful walk to the train station. Kitty is still in a state of mourning, but Courage tries his best to assure her that everything will be alright, whilst having doubts himself. As evening falls, Kitty catches something out of the corner of her eye and notices two familiar faces outside a shady hotel. Recognizing them as part of Mad Dog's gang, Kitty reaches for the emergency brake and grabs Courage to along with her, much to the surprise of the conductor. Kitty stares at the canines with vicious eyes, but realizes that rushing in to attack would be a bad idea. Courage then notices a small enterance into the building and prompts Kitty to follow him. They soon sneak into the room where Bunny is being held in, and the two girls run to each other into a tearful hug. The moment is unfortunately ruined as Mad Dog enters the room and notices Kitty and Courage. Kitty glares fiercely at MD, while he gives an unamused expression. The feline lunges at the gang leader and the two duke it out, but seeing Kitty struggles prompts Courage to join the fight, surprising Kitty even further. As the two girls escape, Courage runs to join them, but Mad Dog is hot on their tail. Worse still, MD's gang confronts the trio outside the building. Soon, the events delve into a battleground as the trio tries to defend themselves against the gang. Suddenly, Mad Dog grabs Courage by the throat and ties him to the tracks, upon hearing the train coming down the line. It seems like it's all over for Courage...until a familiar face leans out of the window spots him on the line. Pulling the emergency brake, the trains comes to a stop, only JUST in front of Courage. Stepping out of the train are Muriel, Eustace and the police, with the rest of the Squadron arriving on scene. The gang members are arrested on spot, with Mad Dog being tasered into submission. Courage is untied and is pulled into a great bear hug by Muriel. Kitty then approaches Courage and apologizes for her actions against him, claiming that she was wrong and that not all dogs are evil. Bunny is also grateful for Courage helping to rescue her and reuniting her with Kitty. The two girls board the train and head off into the night, while Courage and the Bagges are escorted back home by the police. In the end, Courage is back home, Kitty and Bunny are reunited and it seems like everything is back to normal...until we cut to a final scene with Mad Dog in prison. He's carved an image of Courage on the wall with his bare claws, instantly punching it upon completion. Upon this, he darkly claims that this isn't over and that upon escaping, he will soon have his vengeance. Category:Blog posts